


Unexpected connection

by Get_below_my_line_of_vision



Series: "I'm gay," (S)he blurts out [5]
Category: Les Misérables - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Attempt at Humor, Awkward Enjolras, Bisexual Enjolras, Cynic Grantaire, Dialogue Heavy, First Meetings, Gay Grantaire, Grantaire has low self-esteem, Holding Hands, M/M, Pessimistic Grantaire, Socially Awkward Enjolras, Weddings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-24
Updated: 2020-07-24
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:27:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,807
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25383097
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Get_below_my_line_of_vision/pseuds/Get_below_my_line_of_vision
Summary: Enjolras and Grantaire meet at a wedding while trying to avoid talking to people.They sit awkwardly next to each other and start a conversation.
Relationships: (background/past):, Combeferre & Enjolras (Les Misérables), Combeferre/Éponine Thénardier, Cosette Fauchelevent & Grantaire, Cosette Fauchelevent/Marius Pontmercy (implied), Enjolras/Grantaire (Les Misérables), Enjolras/Éponine Thénardier
Series: "I'm gay," (S)he blurts out [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1763104
Comments: 7
Kudos: 51





	Unexpected connection

**Author's Note:**

  * For [A_Butter_Churner](https://archiveofourown.org/users/A_Butter_Churner/gifts).



> Inspired by a twenty minute short film called 'Reception'. I'll put a link of it on the end note.
> 
> I know my writing isn't the best and I sound like a thirteen year old. Apart from that, criticise away.

Far in the crowd, almost at the centre, there was a blonde woman with a champagne flute, chatting excitedly to a man she supposedly just met in the wedding. Frequently she would squeeze his arms or brush their hands together. At this point Enjolras was sick of looking at such interactions. For him relationships were a loop: someone would approach him then leave, but to others, their spark would glow no matter how dark and lonely it got and transform into a flame. By now Enjolras accepted this transformation would never occur to him.

Sighing, he shifted to find a more of a comfortable sitting position. Somehow sitting on a rock was slightly painful. After some shuffling, he looked out again and saw the blonde woman take the brunet man by the hand and lead him elsewhere.  
Enjolras huffed. He never understood social cues well and would actually have to be dragged by his hand to get him into any social situation. Watching the two move so well in unison made him disappointed nobody acted this way around him before. Or perhaps they did and he never picked up on it. That had a high chance probability.

He was snapped out of his thoughts by a man who almost tripped in front of him, raising his hand with beer high in the air to make sure the bottle wouldn’t smash if he were to collide with the ground. Unfortunately he didn’t crash and managed to stumble to the spacious room beside Enjolras and sat on a neighbouring rock. “You have the right idea, mon ami.” He chuckled to himself as he looked out into the crowd. “This is a good spot.”  
He honestly didn’t know how to respond and focused on anyone in the crowd, just like he had done before.

Beside him, the drunk man pulled out his phone from his pocket and was invested enough to balance his beer on a rock (instead of the ground) and check if he received any messages. It took him a couple of times of glancing at Enjolras’ uncomfortable position for his eyes to widen in realisation. “Did I invade your personal space? I do that often. Especially with a drink in my hand. Well, not now, but you saw me earlier… Right?” Due to lack of reaction from Enjolras, he carried on rambling. “Am I making sense? My mouth feels kind of numb.”  
“Maybe you drink too much.” He tried not to look at him.  
“You think so?”  
Enjolras turned to face him, his eyebrow lifted.

“You know what? I won’t drink no more.”  
“You don’t have to-“  
Grantaire twisted his body as he poured the beer on the grass behind them, humming along to a song only he could hear. “And done.” He twisted back round again and looked out into the crowd. “Why did I do that again?”  
Enjolras involuntarily chuckled.  
Seeming to have liked his response, he attempted to create a topic of conversation. He pointed at him, his hand a little shaky. “Enj…y.”  
“No.”  
“Worth the try.” He smiled to himself. “No but really, what’s your name?”  
He sighed. “Enjolras.”  
“Enjolras! That was it. You’re the best man, right?”  
“Yes.”  
He pointed at himself. “Grantaire.”

The conversation dissolved into nothingness once more. Usually this situation was the ideal for Enjolras, but he felt bad for the man beside him who had tried to be polite. In this context then Enjolras would be seen as the opposite of that and he couldn’t stand the idea of himself being a villain in any point of perspective. Therefore he concluded in his head he should at least try to talk. However at this point he didn’t know how much he had spent in thinking and thus hesitated to speak.  
In a way it was a miracle Grantaire had not stood up and walked away in boredom. In fright of him having the power to scare people away, Enjolras decided to anchor him into his attempt in conversation. That way, the two were even. “Which side of the family did you say you were on?”  
Grantaire seemed to be surprised by the question, or maybe by Enjolras speaking in the first place, and cocked his head slightly while smiling a bit, “Oh, I didn’t.”  
Enjolras just stared at him. Of course he knew he didn’t mention it, he carefully formulated his question in order for Grantaire to reveal information about him. After all, that was what conversations were about: exchanges of information.  
Finally Grantaire spoke, “Well, I mean, I’m not… I guess… I mean technically the bride’s? I came here with Cosette.”  
“Who?”  
He sighed as he thought to himself for a second, hopefully about the entire conversation and leave, “Cosette was once adopted by the Thénardier family for a couple of years. Then Éponine, rightfully, took the Thénardiers, the mother and the father, to court so the bride’s no longer a part of that family. My best guess is that Éponine made some kind of a bond with Cosette and so she invited her despite not having talked to her in a long time.” He checked to see if Enjolras was keeping up. From the blank look on his face, Grantaire understood it wasn’t time for him to elaborate.  
“Got it.” Enjolras nodded.  
“That makes one of us.”

Automatically Grantaire pulled his hand to his mouth then accidentally punched himself.  
“Why…?” Enjolras was more confused than finding the hilarity of the situation.  
“I thought… I had a drink in my hand.”  
“You have a problem.”  
“I liked it better when we were talking about…”  
“The bride?” Enjolras finished his sentence.  
“Yeah.”  
“I don’t like to talk about that subject.”  
“Why not?”  
Enjolras held his breath. Exhaling slowly he tried to be as a nonchalant as possible and simply shrugged. “I’m allowed to like and dislike things.”  
“True that.” He brought his hand up again until he immediately brought it back down. He glanced at Enjolras to find out he had seen him fail at functioning again and Grantaire couldn’t help but laugh. Enjolras plainly sighed in response. He felt he had sighed more in this conversation than the whole of last week.

Hearing a notification from his phone, Grantaire checked his mobile. “I swear…”  
“What?” Enjolras immediately bit his tongue. It seemed he forgot he didn’t want to have a conversation.  
“I came here as a plus one to my friend-“  
“Cosette.”  
“Yeah, Cosette, and I can’t find her. And I don’t know anyone else in this sh… Wedding. Hence, my retreat. Here. With you. Hey.”  
“Hi.”  
“It wasn’t an actual greeting.” Grantaire chuckled, “You have’t told me why you were sitting, isolated from everyone else. Don’t you have, like, a best man duty? Or is it all done?”  
To be fair, he highlighted a good point. “It’s all done.”  
Grantaire nodded as his hand twitched.

Before Enjolras knew what he was doing, he held the man’s hand before he could lift it on accident again.  
Surprised, Grantaire slowly faced Enjolras, meeting his eyes. Surely he must have known he was going to accidentally punch him again… Enjolras followed where Grantaire was looking which shifted to their hands. Technically Enjolras was holding his wrist, but Grantaire wasn’t focusing on that. Neither was Enjolras. He remembered the blonde woman from earlier who used any excuse to touch the man in front of her. It was a way of flirtation. But this was different.  
“Uhh,” Grantaire finally managed to get out.  
Enjolras removed his hand and avoided his eye contact, “You were going to punch yourself in the mouth again.”  
“Right.” He genuinely said.  
It seemed like Enjolras let his thoughts eat up time and made the situation more awkward. He nervously scratched the back of his head.

“I don’t think answered my question. Why were you sitting all by yourself?”  
Enjolras looked down at his hands. With his thumb, he rubbed the part of his hand which still felt warm from Grantaire’s heat. “I’m in an opposite position you’re in.”  
“Which is…?”  
He frowned. “I know too many people.”  
He expected Grantaire to scoff at him, but instead the man just nodded along. Despite his light tone, Enjolras recognised the sincerity in his voice. “I can imagine that can be overwhelming.”

While Grantaire was looking out to the crowd, Enjolras watched him with curiosity. So far he felt as if he had seen a transformation happen in front of his eyes. He couldn’t work out what kind of a man he was. “I’m sorry, what was your name again?”  
It was Grantaire’s turn to lift his eyebrow. He wasn’t angry per se, but he wanted to joke around, “Grantaire. R, if that’s easier. I don’t want you to hurt yourself.”  
Genuinely, Enjolras laughed, enjoying his company. It had been a while since he actually felt comfortable with a stranger, or a person to talk to in general.

Since silence had eroded their conversation, Grantaire took it as his responsibility to keep their interaction alive. Enjolras was glad he did so albeit confused by his own conflicting emotions. “I really liked your speech by the way.”  
“Thank you.”  
“Yeah, it was great. Bravo.”  
“”Bravo”?”  
“What can I say?” He shrugged. “I’m thinking though, it’s gotta be hard. Trying to figure out what to say… I feel like I would try to be too funny, talking directly at the bride or the groom, reciting inside jokes…”  
“Terrible.” He said sarcastically.  
“Yeah, you get me, Enjy.”  
“Enjolras-“  
“Enjy, you didn’t do that though. No inside jokes. You were good. Everyone enjoyed your speech.”  
He sighed. Technically the nickname didn’t bother him too much so he let it go quite quickly. “Thank you.” At least he was receiving compliments.

Grantaire opened his mouth then closed it a couple of times until he nodded then smiled. “What was the bit at the end? You said something about dancing alone?”  
“”You finally found someone to dance with”.” He recited. “That was… An inside joke.”  
“Oh, I see.” Grantaire smirked, “Well, you have to tell me then. We’re like best buddies now.”  
“I don’t-“  
“Oh, come on. Will we ever meet again? I heard it’s therapeutic to reveal everything to a stranger; and that’s a fact. Not because I find it comforting to pay for therapy in the form of drunken taxi drives. Now, tell me.” He reeled himself closer to him jokingly.  
Sitting firm, Enjolras didn’t back out. “It’s not- Honestly- Well… Okay… So… Combeferre-”  
“The groom.”  
“Correct. He’s been my best friend ever since I can remember. When we were younger… I don’t even know where to begin- I should just spit it out.”  
Grantaire chuckled. “Your words, not mine.”

He debated whether he should tell the story. He then looked out into the crowd once more. Everyone was having fun, hugging each other, chatting lively. Even though he was apart from them, he was still experiencing the same thing. In the beginning he wasn’t quite sure if he wanted their type of interaction but he was also able to admit to himself he was having fun talking to Grantaire minus the occasional silences. “Believe or not I went through an awkward phase when I was in high school.”  
“What? You mean you grew out of that phase?”  
“Calm down, R. I meant that I was very shy. So, for the Homecoming dance I had nobody to go with. ‘Ferre told me it was okay to go alone, so I can meet new “chicks” I recall him calling girls.”  
“Psh, we were all cringey back then.”  
“Agreed. He didn’t ask anyone and he, like a gentleman, picked me up and drove me to the dance. Standing there with me, he started pointing at others and making fun of them. We talked about how better off we were.” He subconsciously smiled. “And ‘Ferre… He never had any troubles with girls. Ever. He was handsome and he could talk to people confidently.”  
“That’s all the qualities a woman would want.” Grantaire nodded along, slightly mocking Enjolras’ description.  
“Yes. That’s true.” Enjolras flashed a smile. “I watched these girls come up to him in the dance,” He began to add gestures to aid his speech, “And he would talk to them for a minute or two, they would whisper in his ear, and he would send the girls away.”  
Grantaire watched him, unblinking. He understood where the story was heading.  
“This kept happening. They would tap on his shoulder and he would shake his head. After a while, he leaned over to me,” Then Enjolras leaned over to Grantaire, reliving his memory, “And he said “I can’t even find anyone to dance with.””

Wearing a tight smile, Grantaire couldn’t take his eyes off of him. He murmured under his breath. “That’s a good joke.” He leaned in to mirror Enjolras, “’Twas a good speech.”  
“I thought so too.” He gave a close-lipped smile as he returned to his normal sitting stance.  
Grantaire lingered in his position before he eventually did the same thing and looked out into the crowd. “Good friend.”  
“Of course.”

Grantiare bit his lip as he turned to see Enjolras. “You didn’t stay in the background forever, right? You _definitely_ had women throw themselves at you, I mean _look_ at you.” He did exactly the opposite as he avoided Enjolras’ eye contact, embarrassed by what he just said.  
“Thank you.” Enjolras said sincerely. Sure, it wasn’t the best way to compliment his looks, but the intention was pure, so he let it slide. “I would’ve preferred men too. I don't mind either.”  
“Oh.”  
He clicked his fingers. “Almost surprisingly enough, there was one woman though.”  
“Ooh, tell me more.”  
“First love.”  
“Oh yeah?”  
“The whole deal.”  
There was an exhale carrying the weight of reminiscent memory as Grantiare spoke, meaning each word, “The first love is the best. Colour enters for the first time and every touch has a different meaning. And there’s friends teasing you as you shake your head in denial, your cheeks flushed. Nowadays if you say you’re in love people think ‘Who cares’.”  
Enjolras scoffed. “I didn’t feel that in my first love.”  
Offended, he turned his whole body to face him. “Which love then? Second?”  
“I’ve only had first love, R.”  
“ _Impossible._ ”  
“No, it’s true. This face doesn’t attract many people.”  
“No way... It’s probably just your personality.”  
The two stared at each other until they both burst into laughter at the same time. “Most likely.” Enjolras commented.

Now Enjolras was the only one who was staring into the crowd occasionally. Grantaire had this whole attention captured by the man beside him.  
Enjolras remembered what Grantaire told him about the taxi driver therapy. He could dump all his frustration and literally walk away from the consequences. Although there was also a sense that he could not shake off. Without knowing much about the half-drunken man beside him, it was almost as if Enjolras knew as a fact that they would meet again. There was this urge to ask him for his number or any other way of contacting him. He tried to shake the thought of it away. “She’s here actually.”  
“Your- your ex? Oh, of course she is.” He groaned. “Which one? Show me.”  
Enjolras sighed as he leaned in and pointed vaguely into the middle of the crowd. “See the one with the white dress?”  
“Yeah?”  
Enjolras opened his mouth but didn’t elaborate.

“ _No._ Oh _no._ ” Grantaire gasped loudly. “ _Éponine? _”  
“Uh-huh,” Enjolras tried to carry a light hearted tone.  
“ _No._ That’s cruel. Really?”  
“ _Yes._ ” Enjolras turned to meet him in the eye, their noses almost touching. He backed away again. Honestly he couldn’t work out why he kept gravitating towards the man. He guessed it was because it was a rarity to last so long in a conversation.__

____

“Your… Best friend… Married your ex…girlfriend? Wow. I need some time to let that sink in.”  
“You know what? I know it sounds really weird but,” He shrugged, “It’s actually really weird.”  
Grantaire laughed again and Enjolras smiled, feeling accomplished.  
“Yeah. I believe you, mon pote.”  
“It’s fine.”  
Grantaire put his hand on his shoulder. “How are you okay?” Judging from the lack of reaction from the other, Grantaire pulled him closer, “Are you actually okay?”  
“Hmm? I think so.”  
With his arm around his shoulder, Grantaire patted his arm. “Because you’re allowed to not be okay. Even for a minute. Because what you told me is wild.”

____

Enjolras subconsciously leaned into him, feeling safe. What he was saying was true. That was why he was sitting alone in the first place: gloomy and all that. Strangely enough, talking about it really did get rid of the burden which was pressing on his chest harder than he initially thought. Glancing at Grantaire, he looked at him up and down before finally settling to watch the floor. “I suppose I should feel bad…”  
“You have every right to.”  
“But I’m… really fine.”  
“Sure?” He whispered. He then unwrapped him and let the cold air embrace Enjolras. “I’m just invested.” He chuckled to himself as he allowed for Enjolras to get back his personal space by shifting slightly away from him.

____

“It’s weird.” Enjolras stared at him, his attention single-handedly held by one man. He opened his mouth then closed it.  
“What’s that? Say it.” Grantaire grinned.  
“It’s not over. There’s something weirder.”  
“No.”  
“Yes.” Enjolras took a deep breath. “‘Ponine and I… Had a conversation about _the_ night. How the wedding would look like. We were very specific. The dress, the suit, the music… And this is it. That’s the dress.” He nodded at Éponine laughing in the crowd. “'Ferre's wearing the suit. They're dancing to the music we chose. And I was sitting here… hoping, at least for a split second, I wouldn’t be thinking about how this could have been my wedding.”

____

Without making a sound, Grantaire reached for his hand and held it tightly.  
“Yep…”  
Grantaire removed his hand as he tried to make positive of the situation. "I would've thought you would be able to come up with a better wedding idea."  
"You don't like this?"  
"Eh, could be better."  
"Do you have a dream wedding?"  
"No but it's better than this already."  
Enjolras smiled as he nodded along. 

____

Grantaire was sure to make sure the conversation didn't drift back into silence. “They do make a pretty couple though.” He observed.  
“They really do, don’t they?”  
“It’s the ideal.” He shrugged as he laughed quietly.  
Enjolras chuckled with him.  
“No, I mean it. I can’t see you with Éponine at all.”  
“No?”  
“Yeah, I’m sure she’s lovely but… Well, what do I know. From knowing you for…”  
“Minutes.”  
“Right, minutes. I think you belong to… another type.” He glanced and shrugged. “Men included. Like you said.”  
Enjolras laughed as he nodded.  
“I just see you with someone quicker.” He clicked his fingers repeatedly.  
“Quicker?” Enjolras stared at him with adoration in his eyes until he scrunched his face in laughter as he clicked his fingers multiple times. “Thanks. “Quicker”.”  
Grinning widely, Grantaire tagged, "You know I meant witty."  
"Well," Enjolras jokingly frowned, "You're not witty."  
Exaggeratively, Grantaire placed his hand on his chest as if he had been shot through his heart, "Ouch. I felt that one."

____

There were so many details Enjolras could zoom into at that moment. Even to the slightest crinkle on his face as he laughed or how fluid his motions were or how his laughter felt like it originated from the bottom of his heart. All of them combined to form a charming looking man despite logic being completely against this conclusion. Grantaire… Was Grantaire. He was the most attractive when his personality was presented. Shit. ‘Attracted’?

____

A ‘ping’ from Grantaire’s phone brought Enjolras back into the scene. Grantaire pressed his lips tightly together as he pushed hard on the 'off' button.  
Trying to be smooth, Enjolras smiled, “Is that Cosette sending you an S.O.S?” There was a sense of loneliness creeping up again in his mind as he thought of the possibility of Grantaire leaving. However since he enjoyed his company so much, he assumed others must have felt the same way and therefore thought it was justifiable for others to beg for his presence.  
Grantaire was quick to look up and shook his head and rolled his eyes. “It’s my boyfriend. He just texted me for no reason.”

____

Of all the answers, he didn’t expect one which stabbed his heart. He had felt he was being crushed before under the weight of everything that was happening around him but he never felt like he was being impaled. Until now. His smile slowly faded as he muttered. “Oh, cool.”  
Grantaire gasped from witnessing his reaction. “Enj, no. No, I—!“  
“It’s fine-“  
“I’m gay! That’s all I wanted to say. I was thinking of a nonchalant way of saying that without making it sound forced. I thought you wouldn’t believe the whole boyfriend thing since who would want to go out with a person like me, pas vrai?”  
Exhaling in relief, Enjolras hung his head as his hands cushioned his face.  
“I literally saw life drain out of you, I’m sorry. I just… Wanted to be funny. I thought it was unrealistic for me to score a relationship. Because…” He gestured to his face.  
Enjolras lifted his head up, his whole face pink, “It should’ve been funny. I’m sorry.”  
“No but can you actually imagine me saying that? No way in hell, mon chéri.”  
“I can imagine it.” Enjolras nodded, sure of his word.  
“No.”  
“Yes.”  
“It’s too cartoonish to happen to anyone.”  
“Well,” Enjolras cocked his head, remembering times which similar situations unfolded.  
“Who _are_ these people?”  
“I just like people who are… I don't know... I’m used to liking those who are already taken.”  
“Like kidnapping?”  
“Be serious, R.”  
“I can’t! The whole situation is unrealistic…” His voice faded away.

____

At that moment both of them simultaneously realised they weren’t beating around the bush anymore. Enjolras explicitly said he liked him.

____

The two just stared at each other in disbelief. “You… Like me?” Grantaire murmured.  
“Is that a problem?” There was faint panic in his voice.  
“No! No. This is… Unrealistic. Cartoonish.”  
“You’ve said.”  
“Yeah, but in a good way. I mean, have you looked at yourself?” He started laughing. “And look at me!”  
“Looks don’t mean anything.” He shrugged.  
“Of course you would say that. All handsome, gorgeous people say that.”  
“Grantaire.” He held his hand. “Looks don’t matter.” He made sure not to let go and squeeze his hand for assurance.  
A small smile crept up Grantaire’s face.  
“I like you.”  
He furrowed his eyebrows. “I couldn’t tell.”

____

They both laughed again, leaning on each another. The wedding felt warm and colourful.

____

**Author's Note:**

> [This short film](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9ncrJM4gd4&t=905s) contains one of the realist and the most natural dialogues I've listened to. If anyone wants to write/ act a natural conversation, this video most likely will help you :)


End file.
